More Than a Facial; Less than a Face-Lift! Anti-Aging Therapies for Forty and Fifty-Somethings

More than a Facial, Less than a Face Lift!

By Mary-Beth

I find many of our patients who are just seeing the first signs of aging – typically in their forties or fifties – realize that their conventional Spa treatments won’t do the trick anymore, but aren’t ready for cosmetic surgery. They’re somewhere in between a facial and a facelift. 

What these patients don’t know is that there are non-invasive or minimally-invasive treatments that can really make a difference. 

Medically-supervised skincare, such as OBAGI, is non-invasive and should be the cornerstone to any anti-aging regimen. Most skin-improving lasers are also non-invasive and have no downtime, with the exception of fractional skin resurfacing lasers, such as the ProFractional.

Minimally-invasive treatments include injectables like Botox (or Dysport or Xeomin) and fillers, such as Restylane, Radiesse, and Sculptra Aesthetic. 

Part I: Skincare – your youthful foundation

Good skincare – supported by a medical-grade product such as OBAGI, Environ, or Cosmedix – is the first step towards creating a more youthful look. The number one thing that will give your age away (or make you look even older than your years) is dull, poorly-textured, and discolored skin. Regardless of the other therapies you try, never stop your daily skincare regimen – it is the foundation to all other treatments. Remember, what you do daily is more important than what you do occasionally, so make your daily skincare routine count.

Why must products be medical-grade, rather than from the drugstore or department store? Despite what the glossy magazine ads claim, the fact is drugstore or department store products’ ingredients are prohibited to penetrate to the dermis layer of the skin, where the real change happens. Creams that you purchase over-the-counter at the drug or department store may feel good on your skin, and you may see a temporary change – but, once that product is absorbed, so are your ‘results.’Medical-grade skincare products are only sold legitimately in a medical office. Besides being able to penetrate to the dermis, medical-grade skincare products are more effective and corrective, and can generally do more for your skin. Your best bet is to purchase your products in a dermatologist or plastic surgeon’s office through an experienced medical aesthetician. This way, your aesthetician can flag potential contraindications and create a custom skincare routine for your unique needs and goals.

Our office is one of only a handful on the East Coast to offer dermaplaning. Here, we refer to it as the “Poulos Peel.” The Poulos Peel is a painless Spa treatment that manually removes the topmost layer of dead and flaky skin cells so skin is glowing, reflective, and feels silky soft . It works hand-in-hand with your daily skincare routine, because once those dead skin cells are removed, your medical-grade skin care product can penetrate to the dermis more effectively.

Tune in next week for Part II: Injectables!